Football needs two wins to become bowl eligible
Utah State is still hunting for that bowl game. A win at Idaho this week will put the Aggies at 5-5, with two games to play, and put bowl hopes securely in the “realistic” column, something the fans in Logan haven’t seen for 18 years.
“I think everybody on our team knows the expectation,” Aggie senior safety Alfred Bowden said. “We are trying to win a bowl game. We are not trying to barely make it bowl eligible. We are trying to win the next three games with Nevada, New Mexico State and Idaho.”
The Vandals are just 2-8 this season under head coach Robb Akey, fresh off a 42-7 shellacking by Brigham Young last week, but nearly beat Virginia on the road in overtime earlier this year.
“Their record isn’t very good, but I feel like they lost some close games,” Aggie junior wide receiver Matt Austin said. “They are a good team. We are looking for a fight. We can’t start playing in the second half. We have to come out strong and come out with a fight and be physical on both sides of the ball. I’m looking forward to getting us the next victory.”
USU head coach Gary Andersen isn’t counting the game as an easy win.
“This will be a tremendous challenge for us,” Andersen said. “Robb is going to be ready. But most importantly, the kids from Idaho are going to be ready. They’re going to play hard. They play hard every game. It’s at their place, and we’ll have to play really well to have an opportunity to win the game.”
On the ground, senior running back Princeton McCarty leads the Vandals and is No. 8 in the Western Athletic Conference with 621 yards this season.
McCarty has three touchdowns, but shouldn’t be too much of a struggle for an Aggie defense ranked No. 22 nationally in rushing defense, with just 114.6 yards allowed per game.
Idaho has started senior quarterback Brian Reader most of the year, going 154 of 288 for 1554 yards, with nine touchdowns and interceptions. During the past three weeks Akey let sophomore Taylor Davis see significant playing time under center.
“It’s interesting,” Andersen said about the two-quarterback system. “It kind of goes back and forth, so who knows where they’ll go. Our defense doesn’t drastically change because of that, so it doesn’t really flip our gameplan upside down because of that at this point.”
Davis has completed 24 of 49 passing for 189 yards with one touchdown, helping the Vandals to a 1-2 record since becoming part of the Vandal offense. But he has also thrown an interception in each game against Hawaii, San Jose State and BYU.
Bowden said defending Idaho through the air won’t be too much of a problem.
“With Idaho’s passing problems, we should be able to do what we have to do on defense to stop them,” Bowden said. “We are not going to stop every throw, but we have got to try and take advantage of them not playing as well in the passing game.”
Although linebacker Kyle Gallagher broke his hand in the San Jose State game, Andersen said he promises the senior, who has 67 tackles will play in Moscow, Idaho, this week.
“You’re not going to keep him out of a football game,” Andersen said. “That kid is unbelievable in his toughness. He’d probably go without a hand for the rest of his life if it meant playing in one more football game.”
It is still unsure if freshman quarterback Chuckie Keeton will make an appearance in the game after sustaining a neck and back injury in the 35-31 win over Hawaii Nov. 5. Austin said it doesn’t matter to him whether Keeton or junior Adam Kennedy throws the ball.
“They are both great quarterbacks,” Austin said. “Adam has actually given us a chance. He is throwing it up, he is giving the receivers a chance in making some big plays for us. Not only for him, but for our offense and our team, our fans and everybody in Logan.”
– tavin.stucki@aggiemail.usu.edu